Wire feeding device



Jly 7, 1936.

E. H. BoDDY ET A1,

WIRE FEEDING DVICE Filed March 17, 1934 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 IHTIII miiml w.

Inventors: Edwin HBoddy, Ethan Vars,

5. Attorney.

July 7,1936 E. H. BODDY ET AL WIRE FEEDING DEVICE Filed March 17., 1934 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Inventors: Edwin H Bodd Ether-l V rf,

Thai Attovney.

Patented July 7, 1936 UNITED srA'rss wma resumo DEVICE Edwin Harley Buddy and Ethsnw. vars, Erie, Pa., assignors to General Electric Company, a corporation of New York 'Application lldarch 17, 1934, Serial No. 716,208

dClaims.

Our invention relates to wire feeding devices which may also be used for supplying electric current to the wires fed thereby.

It is an object of our invention to provide a wire feeding device of the character above described which is of particular utility for feeding welding electrodes;

More particularly it is an object of our invention to provide electrode feeding means which 1o completely surrounds the electrode and which is capable of making contact with substantially the entire circumferential surface of a predetermined length of the electrode.

.Other objects of our invention will become apparent from a consideration of the following description taken in connection with the 'accompanying drawings, Fig. 1 of which shows one embodiment of our invention as applied to an automatic arc welding head; Fig. 2 of which go shows a top view partly in section of the feeding device illustrated in Fig. 1; Figs. 3, 4, and 5 of which are side and plan views showing the man- 1, ner in which the complementary jaw members of our device completely surround an electrode 26 and are in contact-making position with substantially the entire circumferential surface of a predetermined length thereof, and Fig. 6 of which shows in perspective the construction of the yoke member of our device by means of which pressure v so is applied to the jaw members which enclose the electrode.

In Fig. l of the drawings one embodiment of our invention is shown as an electrode feeding device forming part of an automatic arc Welding head. 'I'he arrangement illustrated is particularly suited for feeding electrodes having a coating of flux through which extend projections separated from one another circumferentially as well as lengthwise of the electrode and of a height equal to or slightly greater than the thickness of the flux coating. Electrodes of this construction are particularly described and claimed in the application of one of us, Ethan W. Vars, Serial No. 692,348, led October 5, 1933, for Flux coated electrodes and method of making the same. Itis to be understood, however, that our invention is not limited to feeding electrodes of the above construction but may be used for feeding bar electrodes or heavy coated electrodes of all shapes and constructions. h

The wire feeding device of our invention comprises a. series of blocks supported bylxelts and pulleys by means of which they are given an extended movement substantially parallel to the.

longitudinal axis of the wire over guiding means through theagency of which they are forced into engagement with the wire. In the arrangement illustrated in the drawings the contact blocks are complementary jaw membersv II and I2 which completely enclose an electrode l0. lThese jaw 5 members are connected into endless chains I 3 and I4 which are supported on sprockets I5, I6, I'l, .n and IB. At least one of these sprockets is connected to the propelling mechanism of the welding head by means of which itfis lrotated in one 10 direction or the other to propel said chains in one direction or the other to feed the electrode toward and away from the work. It will be noted that the jaw members are/provided with interlocking portions and that the movement of one l5 chain will therefore communicate movement to the other chain if but one sprocket is used as a driver.

Thejaw members ll and I2 are carried by chains I3 and I4 over the opposed parallel guid- 20 ing surfaces of shoes I9 and 20. These jaw members are pressed into contact-making position with the electrode I0 by pressure means 2l and 22 located exterior to and in substantially the same plane as the loops formed by the chains 2E I3 and I4. These pressure means are connected to the shoes I9 and 20 by yoke members 23 and 24 which span the chains I3 and I4. Yoke 23 is shown in perspective' in Fig. 6 of the drawings. It will be noted that it comprises a U-shaped member, one end of which is slotted to engage guides 25 riveted to a plate 26 forming the supporting frame of the feeding device. The pressure means comprises blocks within -which are supported plungers 21. These plungers are adapted to engage a groove 28 in the yokes and are pressed into engagement therewith by springs 29 enclosed within the blocks constituting part of the pressure means. The tension of these springs and the pressure of the plungers 21 on the yokes 23 and 24 may be adjusted by an adjusting screw 30' also supported in these blocks. Welding current is supplied to the electrode through a conductor 3 I, the terminal 32 of which is connected to one of the yoke members 23 by means of a screw 33. The yoke member 24 is electrically connected to the yoke member 23 by a flexible conductor 34. The yoke Vmembers 23 and 24, shoes I9 and 20, and the jaw members 51 II and I2 are formed of electrically conductive material, 'I'he plate 26 forming the supporting framework for the feeding device above described -is electrically insulated fromv the Welding head 35 with which it is associated. 5`

'Foe welding electrode l@ is direct-ed to and from tbe feeding device by guides 3b and 3l.

The, feeding device above described functions as follows. Trie welding head by rotating one or more or" the sprockets it, i'l, and, it conu veys an endless succession of pairs of jaws i i and l2 along a rectilinear path determined by the opposed parallel guiding surfaces of tine elongated. shoes i9 and by means oi" which they are fome@ im@ engagement with tbe electrode. The Ailementary jaw members il and l2 or the g chains t3 and lil completely surround a determined lengtls. of the electrode and eo se at the projections '39 which are separated one another circumierentially as well as s, height ci" on the electrode. Welding by conductor 3i the jaw members il and t2 which are electrically cori- Ziected thereto through the agency ci conductor y and and shoes i9 and 't will noted. that tlie pressure exerting the chains, sprockets and slice are supported in substantially tile same plane, that the jaw members are conveyed in closed patios which pass between tbe guide members and between the pressure means and the guide memn bers, and that pressure is applied to the guide members or shoes through the 'agency oi yolce members which span the chains constituting the conveyor means for tbe complementary jaw members.

lt is of course apparent that the electrode en gaging surface of the jaw membersmay be given any suitable conguratiori without departing from our invention. members so that complementary members conms pletely enclose the electrode and are iorcecl into contact-making position with the entire circumt ferential surface oi a predetermined length oi the electrode is, however, an important feature of our invention. When suoli a construction is employed the feeding device oi our invention becomes of particular utility for feeding electrodes leaving a coating di dus through which extend projections by means of which welding current is lsupplied to the electrode. It is to be unders'. ood, however, that the feeding device illustrated may be used for feeding bare wires or electrodes and for supplying electrode current thereto.

What we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, istl. An electrode feeding device for welding machines comprising an endless series of electrically conductive complementary jaw members which when pressed into engagement with an electrode are in contact maling position with substan= tially the entire circumferential surface thereof, means for successively pressing said jaw members into Contact making position with' an electrode, and means for supplying welding current to said jaw members.

2. An electrode feeding device for welding machines comprising an endless series of electrically conductive complementary jaw members which when pressed into engagement with an electrode are in contact making position with substanlibe forming of the jaw aocaaov tially the entire circumferential surface thereof, means for imparting to saiol jaw members an extended movement substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of said electrode, means for successively compressing said jaw members into engagement with said electrode, and means for supplying welding current to said members.

3. Apparatus comprising a series of closely spacedblocks o electrically conductive material connected together to form an endless belt, an elongated slice member oi electrically conductive material located in tlie loop` formed by said belt, means for propelling said belt along said shoe member, pressure means exterior to the loop formed by said belt, a support for said pressure means, a yoke of electrically conductive material electrically connected to said slice, spanning said belt and connecting said pressure means 4to said shoe, guiding means cn said support for engaging the end o said yole within said belt, and means for supplying welding current to said yoke.

An electrode feeding device comprising par alici electrically conductive guide members, presn sure means lying in substantially the same plane es said-guide members, a plurality of electrically conductive complementary jaw members, means for conveying opposite jaw members which when closed on an electrode are in Contact making position with substantially tbe entire circumferential surace thereof in closed patins which pass between said guide members and between said 4pressure means and salti guide members., yolres o' electrically conductive material electrically connected, to said guide members, spanning said conveyor means and connecting said pressure means to said guide members, and meaiis for supplying welding current to said voices.

5. en electrode feeding device comprising parallel electrically conductive guide members, pres:- sure means lying in substantially tile same plane as said guide mem ers, a plurality of electrically conductive interlocking jaw members wliiclb. when clamped about an electrode are in contact making position with substantially tbe entire circumierential surface thereof, means for connecting opposite jaw members into endless chains, means including sprockets for directing said. chains between said guide members with complementary jaw members clamped. between said guide members and about an electrode, means for driving at least one of said sprockets, means spanning said chains for connecting said pressure means to said guide members, and means for supplying welding current to said guide members.

6. An electrode feeding device comprising jaws which when opposite one another and pressed into contact-making position with an electrode to be fed thereby interlock with one another, means for connecting opposite jaw members into endless chains, means for supporting said chains for movement in paths parts of which are substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of said electrode, means for pressing interlocking jaw members into engagement with said electrode and with one another, and means for propelling at least one of said chains.

EDWIN HARLEY BODDY. E'I'HAN W. VARS. 

